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Forum:12: Revolution Within Revolution
The party stopped briefly on their journey back to Jiang to visit an island on the outer rim of the World's Cradle archipelago, lured by rumours of unique flora and fauna that exist on the islands. The one they found, however, was inhabited by the hermit known as Argent, a handsome older Kitsune man who exuded an aura that frequently causes those who look at him and hear his voice to fall in love with him. He claimed that the party may run into some of his hundreds of children and possibly grandchildren, and that he hopes they will bring back news of how they are doing. Yahtuh, swayed by his charm, joined him for a dance before leaving the island, and was heartbroken to leave him, though the magic wore off shortly after their parting. On arrival in Jiang, the group saw the capital gripped by tension and unrest, and upon visiting Yellow he explained that there is a rumour going around that the Cao Imperial Court has lost the Mandate of Heaven, the sacred proof of the Cao's legitimacy as ruler of Jiang. As it turned out, Magistrate Teng's departure and subsequent denunciation of the behaviour of the court was interpreted by the court's followers as proof of Teng's own corruption and unworthiness, as well as by dissidents that his actions prove that the Cao are unfit to rule. In the interest of securing the nation's future, Yellow says he was approached by someone the group had met at the Dragon's Divided River when they first met, and this person was instrumental to the nation's safety. The person in question turned out to be the scarred and disheveled woman who seemed to be acting as Vajra's bodyguard, and she introduced herself as Xianmei the Hidden Blade. She explained to the group that the Nataraja are currently a powerful enough group to potentially secure the throne of Jiang and name Vajra the leader should the Cao fall from power. However, her concern is that Vajra is unsuited to act as an effective leader for his revolutionaries, and that if he should be given the Mandate, he would refuse it and allow the state to fall into anarchy. To this end, she recommended to Yellow that the two of them act as kingmakers within the Nataraja and elevate members they believe to be worthy of the Jiang throne to Vajra's attention, and possible consideration as new leaders of the group and the country. Xianmei also admitted that she and Vajra are lovers, and as such she fears how he might respond if she professes her lack of faith in his ability as a leader. After explaining all this, she implores the party to act as her agents within the Nataraja, and find ways of elevating worthy members and getting unworthy members dismissed by Vajra. Their first targets were Wild Lao Jin and Daggerfist Zheng, the former a violent boor and the latter a patient and worldly man. Lao Jin was in Vajra's favour due to his exceptional skills, but the party would change that by drawing him into combat and making a public spectacle of his defeat. After meeting the two targets in the company of their Nataraja fellows, Lin managed to deduce that Lao Jin's love of drinking was often confused for drunken mastery, which he interpreted as an insult, and proceeded to fight with his "Hidden Fist", using various items around the bar as weapons in his fight with Lin. Having successfully undermined his students' confidence in him, Lin and Yahtuh beat him soundly while Ten-Tongues and Artyom kept Zheng distracted and on their side. The party retired to sleep off their drinking at Starry Pavilion, and awaited news from Xianmei for the next day... The rewards are as follows: *1500 exp per person for: Meeting Argent and completing Xianmei and Yellow's first assignment.